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Song & Call Comparison
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Song & Call Comparison
Plaintive Cuckoo
Song
Loud, far-carrying resonant call; deep notes given from dense forest canopy in Africa. Vocalization pattern typical of this species in its native habitat.
Andaman Coucal
Song
Melodic, whistled phrase with clear quality; pure resonant notes carrying across African woodland habitat.
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Geographic Range & Migration
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Conservation Status Comparison
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Conservation Status
Least Concern
Plaintive Cuckoo
Least Concern
Andaman Coucal
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Identification Tips — How to Tell Them Apart
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How to Tell Them Apart
Plaintive Cuckoo
Plumage
Plaintive Cuckoo: gray-brown above; rufous-orange below; long dark tail; yellow eye-ring; sexually dimorphic rufous morph females
Andaman Coucal
Plumage
Chinese Coucal: dark brown above; rufous wings; pale buff below; long dark tail; red eye; streaked in winter plumage; Asian species
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About Each Bird (Descriptions)
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Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) — 20–24 cm. Male: grey above; rufous-orange below; yellow orbital skin. Female: heavily barred morph often differs. Widespread in South and Southeast Asia from Bangladesh to the Philippines. Brood parasite targeting tailorbirds and other warblers. Insectivore. Named for its plaintive descending whistle.
Andaman Coucal (Centropus andamanensis) — 42–47 cm. Chestnut back and wings; black head and underparts; long graduated tail. Endemic to the Andaman Islands, India, in forest and scrub. Non-parasitic. Omnivore. Previously treated as a subspecies of Greater Coucal.
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Related Comparisons
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More Birds in Family
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